Product Description

Everyone agrees that America is polarized, with ever-hardening positions held by people less and less willing to listen to one another. No one agrees on what to do about it.

One solution that hasn't yet been tried, says Adam Hamilton, is for thinking persons of faith to model for the rest of the country a richer, more thoughtful conversation on the political, moral, and religious issues that divide us. Hamilton rejects the easy assumptions and sloppy analysis of black and white thinking, seeking instead the truth that resides on all sides of the issues, and offering a faithful and compassionate way forward.

He writes, "I don't expect you to agree with everything I've written. I expect that in the future even I won't agree with everything I've written here. The point is not to get you to agree with me, but to encourage you to think about what you believe. In the end I will be inviting those of you who find this book resonates with what you feel is true, to join the movement to pursue a middle way between the left and the right---to make your voices heard---and to model for our nation and for the church, how we can listen, learn, see truth as multi-sided, and love those with whom we disagree."

Product Information

Publisher's Description

Everyone agrees that America is polarized, with ever-hardening positions held by people less and less willing to listen to one another. No one agrees on what to do about it.

One solution that hasnt yet been tried, says Adam Hamilton, is for thinking persons of faith to model for the rest of the country a richer, more thoughtful conversation on the political, moral, and religious issues that divide us. Hamilton rejects the easy assumptions and sloppy analysis of black and white thinking, seeking instead the truth that resides on all sides of the issues, and offering a faithful and compassionate way forward.

He writes, "I don't expect you to agree with everything I've written. I expect that in the future even I won't agree with everything I've written here. The point is not to get you to agree with me, but to encourage you to think about what you believe. In the end I will be inviting those of you who find this book resonates with what you feel is true, to join the movement to pursue a middle way between the left and the right - to make your voices heard - and to model for our nation and for the church, how we can listen, learn, see truth as multi-sided, and love those with whom we disagree."

Now available! Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White - DVDUPC: 843504001902 A five-session video resource featuring Adam Hamilton teaching these concepts on DVD for group or individual study. Includes leader's guide as well as bonus video.

Author Bio

Adam Hamilton is senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the fastest growing, most highly visible churches in the country. The Church Report named Hamiltons congregation the most influential mainline church in America, and he preached at the National Prayer Service as part of the presidential inauguration festivities in 2013. Hamilton is the best-selling and award-winning author of The Journey, The Way, 24 Hours that Changed the World, Enough, When Christians Get it Wrong, and Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, all published by Abingdon Press.

Endorsements

"While reality is presented in church and our culture these days as black or white, either/or, left or right, conservative or liberal, Adam Hamilton skillfully, carefully, and faithfully helps us see the wisdom and humble way of gray. In religious and scientific questions, in the hot buttons in most denominations today (like abortion and homosexuality), in an approach to reading the Scriptures, and more, he shows a more excellent,' third alternative to the extreme polar opposites we assume are the only ones available to us. I highly recommend that all United Methodists read this important book to help us find the radical center that combines social and personal holiness again." -Sally Dyck, Resident Bishop Minnesota Area, The United Methodist Church
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"I loved this book! Hamilton offers a solidly biblical and immensely reasonable middle ground on virtually every major issue that presently divides our country as well as the church. Of course, few will agree with every one of Hamilton's own conclusions. But everyone who reads this wonderfully written book will be positively impacted by its humble, Christlike style. In our polarized climate, this is exactly what we need!" -Gregory A. Boyd, Princeton Seminary; Senior Pastor of Woodland Hills Church, Maplewood, Minn.
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"Adam Hamilton invites us to soulful gray space between polarities, glorious gray space that is holy, mysterious, complex, and true. Let us find within our spirits the courage and humility to live and learn in this faithful space, to see gray, to discern a more excellent way." -Hope Morgan Ward, Resident Bishop, Mississippi Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church
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"Adam is a breath of fresh air. True to Scripture but no simplegod in a box' formulas for the church to be found in these pages." -Mike Slaughter

"Reverend Hamilton courageously addresses the challenging issues of our time prophetically as well as pastorally. A stimulating book, it is an excellent teaching tool for clergy and laity alike in addressing the contemporary burning issues of church and society. It opens much needed dialogue concerning various theological perspectives and strives toward the unity of the church." -Sudarshana Devadhar, Resident Bishop New Jersey Area, The United
Methodist Church

"Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White is a stream of refreshing water in a scorched desert of polarization! While the religious and political extremes compete for power and dominance through coercive rhetoric and power maneuvers, Adam Hamilton provides an alternative that is theologically grounded and faithful to the church's mission to be a sign and instrument of God's reconciliation in Jesus Christ. This is an important and timely call to the church!" -Kenneth L. Carder, United Methodist Bishop, Ruth W. and A. Morris
Williams, Jr. Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity
School

"The church and world have not been served well by either the Old Left or the New Right, who take partial truth and present it as the whole truth. Adam Hamilton provides a prophetic alternative voice to partisan advocates with their barren polarities and tiresome polemics." -Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership and Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC

"This is a wonderful book that is sure to yield some wonderful fruit as Adam's ideas are put into practice in the renewal of our church." -Will Willimon, Resident Bishop, North Alabama Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church

Author Bio

Adam Hamilton is senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the fastest growing, most highly visible churches in the country. The Church Report named Hamilton's congregation the most influential mainline church in America, and PBSs Religion and Ethics Newsweekly identified him as one of the top Ten People to Watch. Hamilton is the author of Confronting the Controversies, Making Love Last a Lifetime, Unleashing the Word, Leading Beyond the Walls, Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic, and Christianity and World Religions.

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